Fire and Ice
by Kirihana
Summary: Revised reposting of an old fic. AU. In a world where the supernatural runs amok, a fallen angel, the Shinigami, two vampires, and a librarian must team up to save the world from total destruction. Now if only they can get over personal issues…
1. Sweet Sacrifice

Wow, it's been a while since I put up something for the GW fans! For first-timers, I have to tell you that this is a rewrite/repost of an earlier story of mine. I kept the same title, so welcome back to those of you who found it again. When I said last November I'd be posting this again "sometime next year", I didn't really think it would take almost a year… But it has. The delay was largely due to me coming up with new plot points that I finally decided were completely unnecessary. I've actually had this finished (up to the point where I stopped before) for a while now. So, new readers and old friends, I hope you enjoy!

I do not own Gundam Wing.

**Fire and Ice**

_And so the world shall perish in fire and ice._

--Chapter One: Sweet Sacrifice--

Usually Heaven was a peaceful, happy place. That was the point, wasn't it? To be rewarded for all of the trials and tribulations one suffered through in life with an eternity of bliss? That may have been the point, but it really only applied to the humans who became angels. Those who were born in Heaven were open to tragedy, and they had certainly seen the worst of it this time since…

Quatre shook his head. Angels weren't supposed to even _think_ about the Great Fall. It was far from the best topic for reflection on the eve of his trial for murder. The young angel shifted, staring out his cell's single window at the moon, which, from what he'd heard, was much larger when seen from Heaven than seen from Earth.

"This is why the human-born should be kept away from us!" Dorothy Catalonia had cried upon hearing the news. Quatre had had the misfortune of being there when she learned of Relena Peacecraft's death. Her reaction wasn't surprising, really; Dorothy had, after all, been Relena's partner. Her family, like the Peacecrafts, was well thought of amongst the angelic hierarchy. So of course she sided with the others on this.

Milliardo Peacecraft and his partner, Lucrezia Noin, were against the punishment proposed by their fellow "high" angels. Quatre didn't even know what the punishment was; he knew only that most of the angels were in favor of it. Milliardo was currently being ignored, much to his chagrin. It was interesting, really, since he _was_ Relena's older brother. One would think that his opinion would matter in this case, but apparently not.

Quatre really didn't care anymore.

The Archangels had most likely already made up their minds. The trial would not change anything.

--

Quatre had been young when he met Duo. Young, slightly naïve, and completely innocent. Physically they'd both resembled children, since angels grow slowly. All angels born in Heaven were assigned a partner at a certain age, but Quatre had been just a bit younger than most because of his status as the only male heir of his family line. Usually the partners were both high angels, as the Heaven-born angels were called, with few exceptions. Quatre didn't really know what that meant then. He was taken into a room with five other angels around his age. The others introduced themselves, most with confidence.

"Shira Listarin," a girl with dark hair and eyes offered.

"Asato Kurosaki." He was fair and green-eyed.

"Mehara Persnickity" was a platinum blond with brown eyes.

"Desmond Byre" was good-looking and seemed to be the type that not only knew it but enjoyed lording it over other people.

"Duo Maxwell."

The last name was given by a softer voice with a barely detectable lisp. Quatre, who at the time had been painfully shy, summoned just enough courage to look up at the last speaker. The fifth angel appeared to be only a year or so older than the blond, with long brown hair in a braid and big blue-violet eyes. Quatre gave him a tiny smile, and Duo responded with a huge grin. The older angel overseeing the group told Quatre to choose someone to be his partner. Quatre chose Duo without hesitation. So it began.

--

Quatre had assumed Duo was a high angel, born in Heaven like he was. It was almost a year into their partnership, during which both had grown considerably, before he learned the truth.

Duo was once a human, living on the Earth the One had created. He had been born into part of what humans called the Roman Empire, as the youngest of a poor family's eight children. His family couldn't afford to keep all of their children, so they had married off his five sisters and sold six-year-old Duo into slavery to keep him off the streets. Duo ended up there anyway two years later after a plague took not only his master but also his best friend, Solo. At age twelve he was caught up again, this time as a house slave for some senator. Another plague when he was seventeen ended Duo's brief time on Earth, and he was reborn in Heaven as an angel.

He told Quatre all of this calmly, describing the situations and details in a matter-of-fact tone, as though it was not unusual and only to be expected of life on Earth.

That was the first time Quatre cried in front of Duo.

--

Like all young angels, they were taught the whys and ways of their world and of the One. They learned of the world's Creation and its history since then. They learned of the good in the world, and they learned of the not-so-good. Duo had been particularly fascinated by the brief discussion on vampires. Quatre couldn't understand his interest, and it had sparked one of their few serious arguments.

"They're filthy creatures, no better than demons," Quatre said firmly.

"But they are better than demons, because they aren't completely evil!" Duo retorted.

Quatre rolled his eyes. "They live by destroying the lives of others. That sounds pretty evil to me, Duo."

"Quatre, not all of them kill to survive. Weren't you listening in class? Some of them just drink a little blood at a time from several victims, so they can survive without ending another person's life."

"Note the word 'victims', Duo. Besides, the teacher only told us that because you had to be all morbid and ask. Vampires are just too much like demons."

"But they aren't the same thing, Quatre," Duo insisted."

His partner sighed. "Can we just not have this argument and agree to disagree? Please? I'm starting to get a headache."

Duo made a face. "Fine."

Most of their arguments ended with Quatre getting a headache.

--

Partnership between two angels was important. Partners were supposed to be responsible for each other's actions. If one messed up, both were to be punished. But Duo was gone. Only Quatre would receive the punishment for his partner's misdeeds.

He waited now, seated before the Archangels, to hear their sentence. To his right sat the heads of the families held in the highest regard, though Milliardo Peacecraft was not among them. Quatre didn't care about social status; to him the Heaven-born and human-born were all the same now. It wasn't an opinion that needed to be voiced.

Gabriel, leader of the Archangels, stood up, silencing the council room. His sober expression indicated that the Archangels had reached a decision.

"Quatre Raberba Winner, heir of the Winner family of the High Angels, you are hereby declared, in the absence of your partner, guilty of the murder of Relena Peacecraft."

Quatre sighed. It wasn't fair, this bureaucracy and the constant shifting of blame. Nothing was fair anymore.

"Your former partner is renounced as one of the Fallen, and never again shall his name be spoken in the realm of Heaven."

Well, that was to be expected. Duo had joined the side of the Enemy, and of course Gabriel was too high and mighty to call the Fallen what they really were: demons.

"Your family is now in disgrace."

Quatre frowned slightly but said nothing. He understood the blame falling on him alone, but his family should not have been affected. His sisters would hate him for this.

"You will be stripped of your wings and title, regarded below the level of a human-born, and cast down to Earth. That is our decision."

Gabriel sat down, and those gathered to Quatre's right applauded.

Quatre paled. His wings? Few convicted angels truly recovered from the loss of their wings, and none had ever earned them back. As for being cast down from Heaven… they might as well send him straight to Hell.

-Five hundred years later-

Quatre stared at the woman standing in the center of the living room of his apartment, shocked not by the white wings on her back that she so casually flexed, but by the news she brought.

"You're sure? The Key to the Gates of Hell is sealed inside the soul of a human?"

Noin nodded. "A human named Wufei Chang. He lives in this city, and Gabriel should be sending operatives to find him soon. Demons are likely to be sent after him too. If either group finds him before you do… well, that will be the end of it."

Quatre looked down briefly. "What about the other one?"

Noin sniffed disdainfully. "It was dangerous enough to hide the Key to Hell in the soul of a human. Doing the same with the Key to Heaven would have been downright foolish." She noticed the expression on the blond's face. "At least you have your target's name," she told him. "I could lose my own wings for telling you any of this."

He smiled bitterly. "Milliardo would never allow that."

"You saw how they listened to him at your trial. Besides, Milliardo is too busy with his new assignment to defend my actions. I have to leave now, but don't waste this opportunity, Quatre. You won't get another one like it." She vanished.

Quatre lifted himself out of his favorite armchair and went into his tiny kitchen. He pulled the tea-kettle out of a cabinet, filled it with water, and set it on the stove to boil. He had seen much during his five-century exile on Earth. Quatre was not the child he'd been when he lost his wings so long ago.

He still blamed Duo. He lived alone. His sisters had, for the most part, shunned him before his departure, just as the rest of the angels did. He didn't care.

Most of the wingless lived in disgrace, without a second chance of any kind. Now Quatre had the opportunity to retrieve the missing key to the Gates of Hell and regain his dignity along with his wings. This wasn't exactly what he had long hoped for, but it would have to do.

He _would_ get his wings back, no matter what.

--End Chapter One--

And so we begin again. Chapter two will be posted in a week or so, depending on the response to this chapter. If I get more reviews right away, I'll put the next chapter up sooner (hint, hint). Thanks for reading!


	2. Call Me When You're Sober

I decided that if I got five reviews by today, I would post chapter two. Obviously, I did! I can't guarantee that I'll be able to do early updates every time, though… weekly is much more likely. Still, big thanks to those who reviewed. Enjoy!

I do not own Gundam Wing.

**Fire and Ice**

--Chapter Two: Call Me When You're Sober--

Trowa Barton scanned the bar lazily, taking in the collection of lowlifes, masochists, drunkards, and vampires. He didn't particularly like working at this bar, since no one interesting ever came in on most nights, but a man who did not want to remain homeless could only be so picky. Since the existence of the "creatures of the night" was revealed to the world, vampires had more and more trouble blending in with common humans. It was often their own fault, due to the widespread vampiric penchant for fashion and flair. Trowa personally found it absurd, and as a result he could roam among humans without being suspected for what he was. At night they were forced into dives like this one, always searching for their next meal. Daytime was somewhat easier, since the myth about daylight was still widely believed. No one expected to see a vampire walking around in broad daylight, but most vampires didn't like to anyway.

Trowa sighed, absently stirring the untouched drink- he didn't even remember what he'd ordered, but it didn't matter much- sitting on his piano (which he wasn't playing because the bar's current patrons had no interest in his music) with the brightly-colored straw.

He had always been cautious, but once-upon-a-time it had been for a different reason. Once he had targeted vampires without mercy or regret… now he was one of them. He didn't miss his days as a vampire hunter, nor did he miss his brief time under the tutelage of the one vampire stupid enough to transform the orphan with no name. How could he, when he had personally destroyed the man and then taken his name? Trowa had figured the name wouldn't be getting any use, with the original owner dead, and decided to adopt it. The closest person he had to a friend, Heero Yuy, had done the same thing, although Heero's sire had been decidedly more high-profile.

Trowa's thoughts were interrupted by the jingling of the bells attached to the bar's front door as a new customer entered. He looked up only because everyone else did. Trowa, as a rule, had little to no interest in other beings. But when he saw the bar's latest patron, he almost regretted that choice. The boy- for he didn't look much more than sixteen, with wide dark blue eyes and a fairly small frame- stood out in this company as much as any of them would have in an office building. Their eyes were drawn by his beauty, but many of them looked away when he didn't acknowledge them. The blond boy approached the bartender confidently, largely ignoring the presence of the other customers. He did, however, glance at Trowa as he passed him. The green-eyed piano player raised an eyebrow. There was definitely more to this kid than looks.

--

Quatre fought off his natural blush as his appearance turned practically every head in the dimly lit bar. After all this time, he should be used to people staring at him, but he wasn't.

Quatre disliked bars, especially seedy ones like this. Even if they were pretty reliable sources for information about the supernatural underworld, it was still no place for an angel. Even an angel like him. He walked toward the bar, noting that the single visible green eye of the brunet- whose bangs hung in his face at an angle- at the piano was still on him.

The bartender was leering at him before Quatre even slid onto a stool. This one was an androgynous creature not nearly as unique as he/she intended to be; Quatre didn't care about that.

"I'm looking for information," he said quietly, placing a reasonably-figured bill onto the counter.

The bartender smiled. "'Course you are, sweetheart." The money was taken up instantly. "What's your pleasure?"

"Water, please, and anything you know about a man named Wufei Chang."

A glass of water was placed in front of the blond. "Never heard of him, sugar. He your boyfriend?"

Quatre took a sip of the water, made a face, and put it back down on the bar. "I'm afraid not. Have you heard anything about the Key to the Gate of Hell, then?"

The bartender shook his/her head. "No dice, honey; sorry. You sure you don't want somethin' stronger than that?" He/she pointed at the glass of water.

Quatre sighed. "I'm sure. Thanks anyway." He turned to leave.

_Come over here._

Quatre raised an eyebrow, not entirely surprised that one of the vampires in this place could use telepathy but more surprised that they had the audacity to direct it at _him_. He glanced at the piano player. Green Eye was still watching him, and things clicked. The guy was a vampire trying to use his powers to "lure" Quatre to him.

Quatre smiled to himself. "Okay, I'll play your silly game," he murmured as he stood up. "Just don't expect it to get you very far."

--

Trowa smiled casually as the blond approached him. This would be far easier than any of his recent catches had been, though of course he didn't intend to take all of this boy's blood. He was too attractive for that.

"I'm Quatre," the angelic boy said as he pulled a nearby chair closer to Trowa's piano and sat down in it. "I never thought I'd find someone like you in a place like this."

Trowa's hidden eyebrow rose for the second time that night. So the blond was feeding him lines? Two could play that game.

"The name's Trowa. What brings you to this end of town? Are you looking for someone?"

Quatre brightened. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Do you know anything about someone named Wufei Chang?"

"Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Quatre blushed. "Why does everyone always assume I'm gay?"

Trowa smirked. He had the blond right where he wanted him. "So you're single, then?"

"Yes…"

The smirk widened a tiny bit. "How fortunate for me." He leaned forward, toward the pretty boy's neck. Quatre sighed and waited. The vampire was suddenly thrown back by a flash of white light, though the rest of the people in the bar failed to notice anything amiss as Trowa slammed into the piano behind him. He grimaced and then glared at the innocent-looking blond. "What the hell are you?"

"This from the man who just tried to bite me?" Quatre responded with a sarcastically-sweet smile. "Hell isn't the right word."

"Yeah, well, you're obviously not human. If you were, I wouldn't have been thrown backwards like that."

"If I were human, I would have died a long time ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone to find before my… opposite, shall we say, does." He stood up.

Trowa grabbed his arm. "Wait. What are you?" he asked again, putting some of his mental powers behind the question. He still didn't realize that all of his powers had no effect on Quatre.

The blond smiled bitterly. "I am a disgrace," he said softly, looking Trowa straight in the eye. "Kind of like you."

Trowa let go of Quatre's arm in surprise, and the blond left the bar, fully aware of the disappointed and longing stares that followed him.

--

Quatre disliked small, dark alleys almost as much as he disliked sleazy bars, but he had to walk down one to get out of this part of town. He heard the soft sound of wings behind him and the gentle thump of someone landing.

"You look so small without your wings, Quatre."

Quatre didn't need to turn around. He knew who it was, for all that he hadn't heard the voice in several centuries. "Hello, Milliardo."

Milliardo, like Quatre, was a blue-eyed blond, but his hair was lighter, almost cream-colored, and reached well past his collarbone. He was a few hundred years older than Quatre, and it showed in his cornflower-blue eyes. Milliardo also possessed a magnificent pair of large white wings. "The Archangels are sending their team to look for the Key in a matter of days. I must admit that I am becoming impatient with your lack of progress, little one."

Quatre sniffed. "Is that all you came for? To chide me for being slow? If I had my full powers…"

"If you had your full powers, you would not be here," Milliardo said sharply. "The task may have fallen to you anyway, but…" He paused, his white wings fluttering. "Hmm… fallen. That is a good word for what you are now, isn't it?"

"Do you still blame me for Relena's death, Milliardo?" Quatre asked quietly. "Even when you know the truth?"

"I never blamed you. I don't blame him either, though it's obvious you still do. That may be why you will fail, Quatre. You still blame him for the loss of your wings…" he finished with a whisper.

Quatre turned around to protest, but the other angel was gone, leaving Quatre alone.

Again.

--End Chapter Two--

Those of you who read this before may or may not remember that this chapter was originally my first chapter… the current chapter one comes from a side fic I had going around the same time. I decided to combine the two to make it easier on people. No definite guarantees about my next update, but it will most likely be between September 29 and October 1. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	3. Cloud Nine

Sorry this is at the end of the period I set for updating… I haven't really been in the mood to deal with my writing the past few days. Anyway, this chapter deals largely with Heero and Duo… I hope that pleases you guys. Enjoy!

I do not own Gundam Wing.

**Fire and Ice**

--Chapter Three: Cloud Nine--

The stake to the heart hadn't worked. The fire had almost worked. Lopping off his vampiric sire's head had at last meant success for Mikoto Arashi. Heero Yuy was not only dead but gone, and his young protégé was satisfied. The same could not be said of Heero Yuy's companion of nearly five hundred years, but Mikoto wasn't worried about _her_. She would take care of herself. He had hated their sire, and now the bastard had felt his vengeance.

So why, he wondered years later, had the taken the creature's name? He had his own, and it was a perfectly good one.

Because Mikoto Arashi was the name of a child assassin, his mind reasoned. Mikoto Arashi had died at the age of seventeen. So now he was Heero Yuy. It seemed appropriate, somehow. The new Heero didn't regret what he had done in the slightest. The events of his life seemed to have all, in some way or another, led up to this last murder. And anyway, was it really murder if the man was already dead?

--

Heero Yuy had been a vampire for eighteen years now, longer than he'd been a human. He looked at it as a mission. Even now his childhood training as an assassin and briefly a teenage soldier was deeply instilled in him; he felt nothing for those he killed. Heero felt that was a better way to look at things than the way Trowa and so many others operated, luring their victims with seduction and sensual promises they never kept. That type liked to feed on beautiful people; it gave their wretched existence some pleasure, if not meaning. They (with the exception of Trowa) dressed in elegant clothes and personified so many of the vampiric stereotypes it made him sick. Heero preferred simple clothing: a tank top, spandex shorts, and tennis shoes. He fed on criminals and the general slime of the world. There was no self-righteous feeling in it. He didn't see it as his public duty. It gave him no pleasure. He just did it. He walked the nastiest streets of the city every night, cleaning up the garbage of humanity. This night should have been no different. He scanned the dark corners for someone to feed on.

--

Duo walked the nastiest streets of the city, observing the garbage of humanity with his long braid swinging merrily behind him. It was a cloudy night, and the moon could not be seen. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Duo had hidden his black wings with magic. Most of the kind he liked to use had been forbidden to both angels and demons, but the Shinigami did as he pleased. He wasn't really the God of Death, but in both his lifetime as a human and his millennia afterward he had become the closest thing there was to it. Besides, it was a nicely intimidating nickname. He noticed with interest that one of the dredges of humanity was not alone. The poor unfortunate moaned, though whether it was with masochistic ecstasy or actual pain Duo wasn't sure, as a vampire with shaggy, dark brown hair relieved him of what little life he had left. When the unidentified person was dead, the vampire stood with the easy, natural grace of his kind and wiped the blood from his mouth.

Duo frowned slightly. As the vampire's eyes met his, he realized the steel-blue eyes were basically dead. The soul of this fell creature was cowering deep inside him, bruised and refusing to show itself. Whatever angelic feeling remained in Duo hated to see that and drew him to the vampire. "Hello there," he said gently.

He received a glare in reply.

Duo made a face. "Well, you needn't be so rude. I know what you are."

The vampire didn't actually respond, but a bit of personality came into his eyes as they clearly said _"No shit. You just saw me drink that guy's blood."_

"Again with the rudeness. Never mind. I'm Duo." He held out his hand in the eternal gesture of friendly meeting. The vampire stared at the faintly scarred hand. He didn't shake it. Duo sighed. "And you are?" he prompted.

"Leaving." The vampire started to walk away. Duo blocked his path as lightning flashed. The vampire looked into Duo's blue-violet eyes, searching for the reason that this strange person should approach him. "Heero," he said finally.

Duo put his arm around Heero's shoulders. "Hee-chan, I think this might be the start of a wonderful relationship."

Heero glared at him again. "Don't call me that, and get your hands off me."

Duo grinned and tightened his grip. "Not a chance, buddy. You see, I've never had the opportunity to have a good chat with a vampire. Besides which, you intrigue me all on your own."

"I don't chat. I kill, and I drink. That's all."

"Heero, my friend, there is so much more to existence than that."

Heero tried to squirm out of Duo's hold. "I am not your friend. You annoy me." He leaned toward Duo's neck, hoping that losing some blood would shut this weird young man up. Instead Heero was thrown against the nearest building. He was on his feet again in an instant, staring accusingly at Duo, who put on his best innocent face.

"Sorry about that. It happens."

"You aren't human."

"No, but neither are you."

"I never pretended to be."

"Neither did I." Duo stepped closer to Heero, who pressed himself against the building wall. Duo sighed. "You want an explanation, don't you?"

"It would help."

Duo glanced around, his eyes falling on the dead body and narrowing in disgust. "Maybe we could talk about this elsewhere? Do you live near here?"

"I don't live anywhere," Heero admitted. "I sleep on the streets."

Duo blinked. "Okay, first of all, ew! Second… I guess that means we're going to my place."

A raindrop fell on his nose and was soon followed by several hundred of its fellows. Duo grimaced. "Oh, that's just lovely. Come on, Heero; my apartment is this way."

--

_Nanashi looks up, only now aware of the other vampire's presence. _He_ stands leaning against the nearby wall with his arms crossed, no more worried by the pouring rain than Nanashi is. His shaggy brown hair hangs in his steel-blue eyes. The vampire doesn't look much older than Nanashi- maybe even a year or so younger- but those eyes tell a different, darker tale. Nanashi drops Trowa's body and wipes the blood from his lips. "Who are you?"_

"_Heero Yuy. You?" _

_He's heard of Heero Yuy. Most of the vampires in their area have. A thought occurs to Nanashi. "Trowa Barton." _

_Heero raises an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, the body at your feet used to be Trowa Barton. You were his nameless pet." Heero's tone is not accusatory but monotonous, for he is merely stating facts. _

_Nanashi/Trowa shrugs. "Not anymore. The name wasn't being used. Besides, I hear you killed your sire and took his name." _

_Heero uncrosses his arms and moves to leave with a fluidity few vampires of his young age possess. "I did," he says softly as he walks past Trowa. _

--

Trowa watched in mild amusement from the shadows as Heero walked away with the young man with the long braid. He knew that Heero had been perfectly aware of his presence, and he wondered if Duo had known as well. Duo turned and flashed Trowa a small grin just before he and Heero rounded the corner, confirming Trowa's suspicions. This new acquaintance of Heero's was certainly interesting.

Trowa sighed. He and Heero were… well, not quite friends, but the closest thing either of them had ever had. It would be more accurate to say that until Duo, Trowa had been the only being Heero was willing to tolerate. He had no tolerance for humans, which was the reason he lurked around at night and lived on the streets. To pay for an apartment he would have to have a job, and getting a job required being involved with humans. So Heero didn't do it.

Trowa wondered about Duo's powers. They appeared to be similar to Quatre's; perhaps they were the same kind of being. Trowa flinched slightly at the thought of the blond he had met three nights ago. He wondered briefly where Quatre was now.

--

Quatre sat back in his cushioned office chair, leaning away from the computer screen. Three days since Milliardo's "warning", and still nothing to show for his work.

"Why is one man so hard to find?" he asked himself.

He tried another search and grimaced at the number of results it gave him. He had to find the Key and its guardian before whatever team Gabriel sent to Earth found it- never mind finding it before the Enemy's minions. Quatre paused in his typing. He hoped his enemy in this quest wasn't Duo. It was bad enough that Relena had been killed and Quatre had lost his wings five hundred years ago. He didn't need to face the ex-angel responsible for it now.

--

Duo dried his hair with a towel as Heero stood awkwardly in the middle of his living room. "You know, you could sit down if you wanted to."

The vampire gingerly sat on the nearest chair; it had been years since he'd even been in someone else's home, much less owned one. This one was surprisingly neat, if a bit cluttered. The furniture was all black, the carpet was dark gray, and the walls were white; random pieces of color in the form of pillows and knick-knacks saved the room from shade-monotony.

Duo tossed the towel into the laundry basket before joining Heero in the living room. Instead of utilizing the other chair or the couch, he sat on the floor in a smooth manner that even Heero couldn't quite have managed. "I was once an angel," he said softly. "But I turned to the other side and caused the death of another angel in the process. I couldn't get over the guilt, so I left that side too. Now I call myself Shinigami-"

"The God of Death?"

Duo brightened. "You speak Japanese?"

"I _am_ Japanese," Heero responded.

"Oh. Cool. Anyway, I call myself that because anyone who has ever gotten close to me has died." He gave Heero a small smile. "And that's my little story."

Heero was silent for a moment. "So… why talk to me, then?"

"I don't know. I guess… well, I figure since you're already dead, we might last a bit longer."

Heero knelt so that he was at eye level with Duo. The Shinigami's blue-violet eyes pleaded for understanding and acceptance. "I'm not good at this," Heero admitted. "I've never had anyone I would consider a real friend, but… I get the feeling that you wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to be your friend."

Duo laughed. "Perceptive, ain't ya? Does that mean you'll stick around?"

"For a while, anyway. What… what exactly do friends _do_?"

"Um… stuff, I guess. How do you feel about the library?"

"Ah, I see. You're what they call a nerd."

Duo gaped at him. "I am not! I may on occasion be a bit of a geek, but I am not a nerd."

Heero didn't look convinced. "Uh-huh…"

There was a pause as Duo pouted. "You're mean, Heero."

--End Chapter Three--

There's some new tidbits in there for returning readers, and I hope all of my readers enjoyed that. Major thanks to Bloodfire87 for being the only person to review chapter two… I'd like to get a response from more of you this time, okay? Review, please!


	4. All That I'm Living For

Sorry about the extremely long delay, guys. I was depressed for various reasons and didn't really feel like doing any fan-fiction. But I've brought you another chapter at last! Enjoy!

I do not own Gundam Wing.

**Fire and Ice**

---Chapter Four: All That I'm Living For---

"_You're sure you want to go through with this, Quat? It just doesn't seem like you." _

_Quatre smiles at his partner, his white wings folded back neatly. "I'm sure, Duo. The Archangels think it best if the Winner and Peacecraft families are united. Since I'm the only remaining male Winner, it's only natural that Relena and I be paired together." _

_Duo stretches his arms and equally white wings out in one graceful motion. "If you say so, buddy. I wouldn't use the word 'natural' when talking about Relena, but that's just me." He pauses. "I'm gonna miss you." _

_Quatre turns sharply. "What do you mean by that? This alliance with the Peacecrafts won't change anything, Duo. You and I will still be partners and go on missions together." _

_Duo smirks. "You're just being naïve if you think the Archangels will allow that. Relena will be your new partner, and you'll forget all about little old me." His expression darkens. "It's probably better that way," he says softly. _

_Quatre wants to ask why, but instead he looks at the clock. "It's time," he tells Duo. "Time for our lives to change forever." _

_Duo looks away. "Yeah…"_

--------

Quatre tossed and turned in his bed on Earth, his face scrunched up in response to the memories that always turned to nightmares. Lost in his dreams, Quatre was unaware of the person watching over him in his sleep.

--------

"_Duo!" Quatre cries in relief. He runs toward his friend. "I can't find Relena, and I was worried that something had happened to you too." _

_Duo doesn't look at Quatre. "Something has happened," he says quietly. _

_Quatre pauses and frowns in confusion. "What do you mean?" _

_As an answer Duo unfurls his wings. They are no longer white like Quatre's, but solid black. _

_Quatre stares in horror. "Duo… why?" _

"_I wish I could explain, my friend. But now it's too late." A scythe appears in his hand. "Relena is dead, Quatre. There will be no alliance between the Winner and Peacecraft families, at least not through the sort of union the Archangels meant to force you into." _

_Quatre takes a deep breath, trying to comprehend what Duo is telling him. "Did you kill her, Duo? Was that the price you paid for those wings?" _

_Duo turns at last, but Quatre is too furious to notice that the blue-violet eyes are sad. "I didn't mean to kill her. She wasn't supposed to be my payment, but she was accepted as such. I have to leave, Quatre. I can't stay in Heaven after this." _

"_Go, then! I never want to see you again, Duo Maxwell!" Quatre screams. _

_Duo slashes at him with the scythe, striking the blond angel across the chest but only to make a deep scratch. "You will," he whispers as he flies away. _

--------

Duo sat up in his bed, panting. Next to him Heero grunted and rolled over; since Duo only had the one bed in his apartment and Heero hadn't slept in a real one in at least a decade, they were sharing. Duo ignored his new bed-mate. He hadn't thought of _that_ day in centuries. Why now? Why was he remembering his betrayal now? The dream could only mean one thing: Quatre must be somewhere in the city. And whatever punishment the Archangels had issued (and they always gave one), it was unlikely that the blond had forgiven his former partner.

"Of all the rotten luck," Duo muttered.

--------

Quatre awoke to green eyes watching him from the remaining shadowy corner of his bedroom. He blinked in the morning sun coming in strong through his un-shaded window. "How did you get in here?"

"I picked the lock," Trowa replied calmly.

Quatre shook his head. "I meant to ask why you're here."

Trowa shrugged. "You called to me."

Quatre chose not to dispute this point. He threw back his covers and turned to put his feet on the floor. His hand went to his head, an automatic gesture whenever he had a headache. Trowa was next to the bed in an instant, holding out a bottle of aspirin. Quatre looked at him. "Well aren't you prepared," he said in an uncharacteristically sarcastic manner. Even the slightest of headaches always made him cranky, and combining one with a bad dream was just asking for it. "Thank you, but I can't use that stuff. It does funny things to me."

Trowa put the bottle away and retreated back to the armchair in the corner, where he'd spent most of the night.

Quatre closed his eyes and willed the headache to go away.

"Is it because you're an angel?" Trowa asked suddenly.

Quatre fell off the bed. Trowa didn't move to help him this time, and the blond squinted at the vampire with one eye, rubbing his head. The headache was worse now. "What?"

"I've been thinking about it for the past few days. You aren't human, and you aren't a vampire, so you must be an angel."

"That's one of the stupidest pick-up lines ever," Quatre grumbled, rearranging himself into a cross-legged position on the floor.

"It wasn't a pick-up line," Trowa mildly protested. "It explains the white light when I tried to take your blood, and you _look_ like an angel." He paused. "You're right; it does sound like a pick-up line."

Quatre sighed. "I'm supposed to be finding someone, Trowa. Not getting involved with vampires."

"You never answered my question, though."

Quatre stood up. "Yes, then. I am an angel, but… well, I'm not exactly the best example of what an angel is supposed to be."

Trowa was at his side again, using the speed that only vampires possessed. "You're a fallen angel, then." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

The blond was distracted by how close the vampire stood to him. It was strange, looking up into those green eyes. "Something like that," he whispered.

"How sad." Trowa walked away, headed for the bedroom door.

Quatre blinked in surprise. "W-where're you going?" he sputtered.

Trowa turned around. "To your kitchen," he responded. "I was going to make you breakfast."

Quatre blinked, completely nonplussed. "Oh. Okay."

Trowa turned out to be an excellent cook. Since he didn't bother Quatre while the angel was doing research, Trowa also ended up spending the entire day in Quatre's apartment. When Trowa had to leave to go to work at the bar in which they'd met, Quatre went with him.

Trowa spent the night in the recliner in the corner of Quatre's bedroom. Since Quatre didn't have any nightmares that night for the first time in months, he didn't complain.

--------

Wufei Chang shelved the last book on the cart. He liked this time of day, just before closing, when he had the entire library to himself. He hated the early afternoons, with the excessive number of children and their parents incapable of restraining the brats. Of course, most of the children were afraid of Wufei, with his shoulder-length black hair, glasses, and stern look.

He kind of liked that they were scared of him.

He still did everything in his power to avoid getting the afternoon shift. Let the perky schoolgirls and the old bats have it. He was more of a nocturnal creature lately anyway.

He began to wheel the cart back to the circulation desk, noticing a frequent patron he knew by sight but not by name (partly because he didn't need to know his name, mostly because he didn't care) standing there. For once this particular patron, a cheerful-looking young man in his late teens with his long brown hair worn in a braid, was not alone. He was accompanied by a boy who looked to be the same age, with short shaggy hair hanging in his eyes. The two watched as Wufei pushed the cart into the circulation room behind the desk before taking the patron's book-of-choice and library card.

As the librarian scanned both card and book and handed them back to Duo, Heero studied his name tag. Wufei scowled at him. Duo grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. He doesn't get out much."

Heero raised an eyebrow at his new friend, since he'd lived the past several years on the streets and felt that qualified as "getting out", but the Shinigami just nudged the vampire toward the door. "We'll be going now!"

Wufei shook his head as the two left. Other people's oddities were really none of his concern.

--------

Quatre poked at the dinner Trowa had made for him with his fork, his eyebrows furrowed together in a small frown.

Trowa watched him. "Do you not like it?"

The blond shook his head. "It tastes fine. Trowa…"

"Yes, Quatre?"

Quatre sighed. "You've been here for almost a week now. You've never asked why I'm here instead of in Heaven, and you don't even seem to be bothered by the fact that I'm an angel. Why is that?"

Trowa considered the question for a moment before answering. "I suppose it doesn't bother me because I was never taught to believe in things like God and angels. To know that they are real is… 'comforting' is probably the closest word, but I'm not sure that's right. It's nice to have something to believe in. As for your reasons for being on earth, beyond that you're 'looking for someone'… I figured you'd tell me when you were ready to."

Quatre sighed. "How can you be so trusting? I used to be that way, but it was so long ago… I've forgotten how." He took a deep breath. "I used to be in Heaven with all the other angels. At a young age each angel is assigned a partner, to be their companion on missions and their friend for life. Mine… mine wasn't a Heaven-born angel, like me, but a human-born one named Duo Maxwell."

Trowa, to his credit, gave no sign that he recognized the name.

Quatre continued. "To make a long and painful story short, Duo killed another angel and became a demon. He left Heaven immediately after the murder, leaving me to take the punishment. Because my partner was gone, I became responsible for his actions. My wings were cut off and I was banished to Earth. Five hundred years later, an angel showed up here, offering me the chance to earn back my wings. Wufei Chang has the Key to the Gates of Hell sealed in his soul. If I can find him and take him to Heaven before the Enemy takes him to Hell, I'll get my honor and my wings back." He stared down at his plate. That was the first time he'd told anyone any of that, and it was a bittersweet feeling to get it off his chest.

Trowa stood up and moved to Quatre's side of the table. The blond started to say something, but instead the vampire lifted the angel's chin and kissed him gently. "Five hundred years is a very long time to suffer alone," Trowa said softly.

Quatre felt stupid, getting lost in Trowa's eyes. He didn't say anything.

"Will you let me help you?" Trowa asked.

Quatre nodded, his feeling of foolishness increasing as tears welled up in his eyes. Trowa rested his forehead against the blond's.

Quatre's meal was forgotten and remained untouched.

---End Chapter Four---

I'm not making any promises on when the next one will come out, but I would like to see some more reviews than I saw for the last two chapters. I'm not going to keep the chapter to myself until I get a certain number of reviews or anything, I'd just like some more feedback. Thanks for reading!


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